A widowed pensioner has been forced to cough up £60 after a GP appointment overran.

Retired electrical engineer Peter Reeves, 80, visited Newton Place Surgery on July 24 for a check-up.

Having just been given permission to drive again after a hip operation, the blue badge holder decided to make the journey by car.

Not knowing that the surgery's car park, managed by the private company Smart Parking, has a one-hour time limit and having left early to find a space, he arrived at 14.52.

After waiting for 45 minutes to be seen, he left at 16.05 - overstaying by 13 minutes - resulting in a letter from the firm charging him £60, with a warning that the sum would rise to £100 and potentially lead to court action if left unpaid.

Mr Reeves, of Luton Road, has lived alone since his wife passed away two years ago and, anxious about the possibility of his fine escalating, decided to pay up.

Although patients who breach the one-hour limit while being seen by a doctor are exempt from parking charges, the pensioner did not realise he had to alert surgery staff to the fact he had overstayed.

He said: "If I had my wife here, I might have spoken to her about it. But I'm on my own, so I got my credit card out and paid it."

"At my age, I can't sit down and write letters to people. I'm far too old, and I haven't got a computer.

"I'm not pleading poverty, but £60 is about what I need to get through a week. I'm a pensioner and I haven't got any extra money. I have to be very careful about what I spend.

"For two or three days, I just sat there thinking about it. I thought that's it, I can't carry on with it.

"It's quite bullying. I'd like people to know how they forced me into paying it. I don't want other people to get caught."

Despite the fact he is still recovering from his operation and using a walking stick, Mr Reeves, a former Historic Faversham volunteer who helped to restore sailing barge Decima, says the ordeal has put him off driving to Newton Place ever again.

Staff at Newton Place have appealed to Smart Parking to reimburse Mr Reeves.

Assistant practice manager Chris Calver said: "I spoke with Mr Reeves on Friday 3rd August 2018 and informed him that I would email Smart Parking and request that the fine be reimbursed.

"The gentleman was in the surgery legitimately and it is not our intention to penalise genuine patients. As of today, I am still awaiting a reply from Smart Parking."

A Smart Parking spokesman said: "All users must abide by the terms and conditions as clearly laid out on signage at the Surgery.

"In the case of Mr Reeves, he overstayed the maximum stay by 12 minutes and did not appeal the penalty notice.

"We always encourage motorists to make use of our British Parking Association-accredited appeals process where they feel that they have been incorrectly charged."